complete verse (Psalm 81:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 81:14:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “how fast would I have been to defeat their enemies
    and turn my hand contending with the foes!” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “I would quickly defeat their enemies.
    I would quickly conquer their enemies.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “I will-punish and will-defeat your (plur.) enemies right-away.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I would rule their enemies quickly,
    and I turn my hand to beat them!” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “ingekuwa nimewashinda maadui zao mara moja,
    ingekuwa nimewapiga maadui zao na mkono wangu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “If they did that, I would quickly defeat their enemies;
    I would strike/punish all of them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Psalm 81:13 - 81:14

In verse 13 there is again the parallelism my people and Israel, here in reverse order from the order in verse 11. Bible en français courant combines the two as follows: “Ah, if my people, if Israel would listen to me, if they had followed the way I drew for them….” In line b walk in my ways means to live as God wants his people to live (see 119.3; 128.1).

It would be well to make clear the connection between verse 13 and verse 14 by beginning verse 14 with “If they did, I would….”

In verse 14b turn my hand against means “fight,” “strike” (New Jerusalem Bible), “punish” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “conquer” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .